


Collision Course

by 1JettaPug, Ruriruri



Series: KISS Me One Last Time [4]
Category: KISS (US Band)
Genre: 1980s, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Arguing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fights, Foreign Language, Internal Conflict, Kissing, M/M, Male Slash, Marking, Multi, Multiple Partners, Porn, Rock Stars, Rock and Roll, Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll, Smut, Sobbing, Tears, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-14 21:23:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17516120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1JettaPug/pseuds/1JettaPug, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruriruri/pseuds/Ruriruri
Summary: With a new drummer signed and the entirety of Europe to tour, Gene and Paul’s spirits are high. That is, until one night at a risque Parisian club unleashes jealousies that Ace can’t quench with alcohol, and desires Gene’s not sure he can keep at bay forever.





	Collision Course

On the lighted stage in the center of the room, a female dancer swayed upon the shining pole, flawless skin shown off. Even as the music, dancing and crazy commotion of the club went on around her, the twirl of her hips to the beat of the erotic music was gathering her more and more eyes.

Thick belts crossed over a mini-skirt and corset top to keep it held taut against the waist, both laced tightly around that slender chest, strings hanging over the skin of the woman's lower back. Suddenly, her knee hooked around the pole as the French beauty swung around it, moving with trained elegance and grace, arching against the cold metal of the thin pole and brushing all along it temptingly, head tilted back, and lovely lips parted as she curled around it.

"It seems another pretty little thing has caught your eye," A smooth voice purred beside his ear, the ghost of hot breath tickling his skin and causing the hair to prickle upon his neck. Dark brown eyes slid across the room and returned to the familiar figure resting comfortably on his lap in the dark booth they shared.

Black hair curls softly fell over Paul’s eyes, obscuring the curious glint they held, but that did nothing to hide the curl of his lips. Gently, Gene brushed his hands through Paul’s hair, throwing back those stubborn bangs before cupping his face and bringing him down into a deep kiss. Paul murmured approvingly into Gene’s mouth as he kissed back, fingers slipping to the buttons of his shirt, playfully undoing the top few. Despite all those codpieces and cut-outs in his costumes, Gene just wasn’t quite as willing to show skin on the regular as he was. Had to make up for that somehow, or maybe Paul just couldn’t resist giving Gene a peek.

They could never fool around out in the open like this in the States-- well, besides at the wilder clubs. Studio 54 and so on. Or a gay club, but those had that distinct, disappointing lack of tits. Here in France, though, nobody batted an eye. Within the nightclubs, it all came under that thoughtlessly freeing category of l’amour. Gene broke off the kiss to catch a breath, then take a quick nip of Paul’s throat.

“Are you _jealous,_ Paul?”

“Mm, always.” He reached up to wrap his arms around the back of Gene’s neck. “But maybe I can rein it in for you. You just gotta convince me…” His hips bucked up meaningfully against Gene’s thighs, and any attention Gene was still paying to that dancer vanished in an instant.

Now all Gene could focus on was the feel of Paul wrapped around him and the beat of the music and the sweet smell of his cologne hiding the sultry scent of his sweaty flushed skin and the faint musk of alcohol on his clothes.

Gene let his hands slide down to his hips, absolutely loving how they shifted under his touch. He slipped his index and middle fingers through two of his belt loops and used his thumb to press soft circles on his skin, slipping under his half unbuttoned shirt. Paul hummed, and Gene tugged his hips closer to his. Feeling bold and comfortable, Gene pressed a long, mouthy kiss to his neck, feeling his pulse quicken under his lips as Paul threw his head back and gasped. Paul tasted of sweet strawberries and salt, and it was driving him insane!

“Convinced yet?” Gene growled into his ear, giving the skin where his neck met his jaw a quick nip. Paul moaned in reply and let his hands drop from the back of Gene’s neck to his arms, nails digging into his biceps, pulling him closer.

“ _Gene…_ ” Paul murmured, softly. “God, you gonna make me get an erection in public like this?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Gene smirked and told him in a low voice, only for his ears. “I drive you crazy, admit it…” His hands groped at his ass now, and Paul arched into him, lips parting in a silent gasp. 

“Shit… shit, Gene…” Paul trailed, closing his eyes for a second. He couldn’t seem to help himself. The tour so far had been the hectic, wonderful balm to his nerves he’d hoped it would be, the European crowd just as mesmerized by KISS as they’d been three years prior. The screams, the fanaticism… people that didn’t even speak English chanting out the chorus to _“Rock And Roll All Nite”_ like a choir of thousands… it was amazing. But it had meant he hadn’t been able to enjoy half as much time with Gene. Sometimes after concerts they’d crawl back to their hotel without even fucking, just pass out in the bed next to each other. They needed this. Definitely needed this.

He was about to press in for another greedy kiss when he spotted Eric out of the corner of his eye. Well, saw Eric’s hair, really. The flashing lights of the disco made it hard to tell who anyone was, but Eric’s messy mop made him pretty distinctive. A guy was standing in front of him, leaning in with a hand draped over his shoulder. Paul really couldn’t discern much more, given distance and heady distraction.

“Huh. I didn’t think Eric was gay.” A pause. “Hey, didn’t you bang that girl he liked in Barcelona?”

“That was an acc--” Gene said on automatic, before the full brunt of Paul’s first sentence hit him. “Wait, what? Where is he?”

“Over there.”

Immediately, Gene’s head snapped in the direction Paul motioned to, and his eyes narrowed at the man towering above Eric. He had snuck his arm around his neck, placed his other hand on his back, and was starting to yank on him to pull him along. When the lights of the club swung over them, Gene could easily see how red Eric’s face was. He was fidgeting uncomfortably, obviously wanting to escape the man’s grasp.

A stone-cold expression settled on Gene’s face and a growl rolled out past his lips. It caught Paul’s attention right away.

“Gene?” Paul nudged him, softly. “What’s wrong?”

Nothing.

The bassist ignored him entirely, even letting his hands fall from his hips and ball into fists beside his thighs. He couldn’t look away for even a moment. If that mother fucker did anything to Eric, he’d hurt him, European PR be damned. Eric was new to all this. New and just too sweet and soft-hearted to know how to turn someone down, not realizing he had the star power now to throw that guy out in an instant. That was fine. Gene would do it for him. He’d take care of it. It didn’t hit Gene until a second later how absurd that sounded. Taking care of it, like Eric was someone he held a claim to, a right to. Getting pissed off at some guy hanging over Eric while Paul sat wanting and willing right on his lap. 

The moment Eric pulled away from the creep and vanished into the crowd to avoid him, Gene let loose a deep breath. His chest fell in relief, and he shut his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself looking back to a confused Paul on his lap.

“ _Gene?_ Gene, what the hell? You just blanked out on me… What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Gene swallowed dryly. He drug a hand down his face and sighed, “Sorry. Must be getting a migraine or something ’cause of these lights…” It was a weak lie, and he knew Paul saw through it, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say. He had seen him glancing over at Eric… Hell, it hadn’t been the first time Paul had seen him glancing at him during the tour. He timed it well each time, though. Eric had usually been sitting beside a mirror or a lady- hell, even him standing beside a table of food was a good enough excuse for Gene to stare longingly at him. Now? Now, he didn’t have much of an excuse to throw out there.

“Hey,” Paul swallowed, shifting awkwardly. He let go of Gene’s arms, worry starting to cross his face. Shit. Gene had seemed amenable, even into it, just a few seconds ago. Teasing him about getting hard in public over him. This kind of emotional shift was a little startling, settling like a lead weight somewhere down in Paul’s stomach. Of course. He’d pushed too hard. Out in public was too much for Gene at this point. Hell, maybe it should’ve been too much for him, too. Seven years ago, he and Ace had gotten a beer bottle thrown at them for far less messing around. “Look, if you’re not, you know, cool with this, it’s fine.” 

“Oh. No, no, it’s not that--”

“No, I get it,” Paul said, sidling off his lap and getting back to his feet. “It’s all right, I mean, shit, all four of us in here and we might get recognized anyway. Better keep the tabloids out of this… and I better get a drink, too.”

Paul wasn’t looking straight at him. Gene nodded dully, hating how it was an effort to keep from searching for Eric in the crowd. Paul was there, right there, needing his reassurance, and Gene wasn’t giving it to him, too busy being paralyzed by his own selfish, stupid thoughts. Did Paul know? Had he guessed? 

“You want a Coke or something?”

“... Yeah. Yeah, sure. Lemme--” Gene dug for his wallet, trying to pull out a couple of francs, but Paul just shook his head.

“It’s on me.”

“Paul, let me pay-”

“It’s on me, Gene.”

Gene still shoved a few francs his way. Paul put his hand on his, his fingers rubbing over his knuckles for a second before shoving his hand back.

“...I’ll be right back.”

Silently, Gene cursed at himself and everything in the world as Paul walked away from him. He cursed even more when Paul vanished into the crowd, and he instantly began searching for Eric again.

Of course, Gene wouldn’t find him wandering about in the crowd. He didn’t see Eric stumble out of the crowd of people and straight up to the counter of the bar.

“Hiya, Curly~!” A high cackling voice to Eric’s right caught his ear.

“A- Ace!” Eric breathed in a sigh of relief. “Thank God, I’ve been looking for you guys for half the night!”

“You’ve been looking for us?” Paul asked, walking up behind him and over to his left. He leaned against the counter and looked down at the drummer. His face was sweaty and red, and he kept looking over his shoulder. “Eric… What’s wrong?”

“Man, there’s this French guy who’s been hitting on me,” Eric explained to them, shaking his head. “He just can’t take a hint! I even tried telling him to go away in French, nothing’s working! He- He’s just making me real uncomfortable…”

“Awww, poor Eric. Everyone knows the French only communicate with their tongues, Ha _hah_ AHa _haHa_ haH _aH_ H!” Ace laughed before throwing back the rest of his drink. Paul turned his eyes away from him the moment they landed on him. Christ, he could easily count four beer bottles resting beside him, and that was his fifth in his hand. Disgust roiled in Paul’s stomach, and he mumbled out a heavily Queens attempt at “Un Coke, s’il vous plait,” to the bartender, forgoing his own order entirely.

Eric kept looking between them. Finding Paul’s gaze being turned away from him and to the floor, he had no choice but to look to Ace.

“That guy over there,” he pointed back behind him to the French man waving his fingers at him. “Is trying to come on to me. C’mon, Ace… Help a guy out.”

A moment ticked by slowly, then the corners of Ace’s lips drew back into a devious grin. “Let’s make out so he thinks we’re together. Then he’ll leave you alone.”

Eric blinked, raising his head just a bit in surprise. “H- Huh? What- Ace, are you sur-”

And the kissing began.

Ace cupped Eric’s face in his hands, stroked his cheeks with his thumbs, and then kissed him. There was just enough of the beer left in Ace’s mouth for Eric to taste and actually swallow. The liquid burned a little bit as it went down, but Ace knew that was hardly bothering Eric. No, no. The short drummer was far too enamoured by how soft his lips were. Ace’s tongue was a dart of electricity that made him shiver, and the guitarist’s hands continued to stroke his face and neck as they kissed.

Soon, Ace had stumbled right off his stool and landed on his feet, shuffling forward just to take one of Eric’s legs and wrap it around his waist. Ace’s hands slid under and up Eric’s tank top, fingers rubbing at every inch of his back. Hell, Ace even managed to have Eric suck on his tongue, the drummer’s own fingers slowly dragging down the front of Ace’s shirt.

“Fuck… You’re a cute little kisser, _Eric._ ” Ace crooned out, sweetly. “ _Yes you are~ Oh, yes you are~!_ ”

“ _Ace…._ ” Eric panted into his neck. He squeaked a soft noise out when Ace pulled him flush against him, continuing to rub his hands all over his back.

“ _Ace! Ace, stop it!_ That pervert got the message five minutes ago! Let Eric go!” Paul snapped at him angrily. Ace leaned his head over Eric’s fluffy hair and eyed the singer scornfully.

“Stop being a jealous bitch,” Ace said, eyes narrowing at him. “You don’t even know I’m doing you a favor. If you don’t want a show like this, then you’re in the wrong fuckin’ place, Paulie!”

“I’m not--” Paul took a breath. He could feel the blood rushing to his face the longer he looked at Ace, the longer he stared into those dark eyes. He’d barely talked to him all tour. Smiled and posed with him for all the cameras, introduced him every concert with as much excitement as he could muster. But he’d stayed away other than that. He’d had to. He’d had to or he’d wreck everything. Everything with KISS, everything with Gene… things were fragile enough, and here was Ace, screwing around, just screwing around-- “You took it too far, Ace! You’re always taking shit too far!”

“Paul, it’s okay,” breathed out Eric, letting go of Ace’s shirt with one hand to start rubbing the back of his neck ruefully. God, that… that was something. Eric hadn’t thought Ace had it in him. A twitch of excitement had been running down his spine ever since Ace’s lips first shoved against his, and… honestly, if it weren’t for Paul complaining next to them, he’d be asking for more from Ace right now. This was Paris, right? He wasn’t half as worldly and aware as his bandmates, but he knew if Ace didn’t give a damn about making out with him here, about who saw, then it had to be cool. Right? “Man, Ace, I… you really know how to kiss…”

“Lots of practice. Right, Paul?” Ace’s gaze hadn’t shifted from Paul’s face yet. Not until he felt Eric’s hand slide cautiously under his shirt, rubbing at his abdomen, did he glance down at Eric again, and start to laugh, darkly. “Right, right~ _c’mere, you…_ ”

Ace hauled Eric upwards, onto his toes, to plant a kiss right on his lips. The guitarist’s arms wound around him and pulled, yanking him impossibly closer as he took over- began to dominate him and lick his way into Eric’s mouth. Ace smiled and glanced upward at Paul as Eric melted against him, his fingers curling into the softness of his shirt as he tried to kiss back as well as he got.

“S- Stop it! Ace, _stop!_ ”

“Mm- No! Mmm _hmhm~_ ” Ace broke their kiss only for a moment to snap at Paul. He turned them away from the singer, blocking him from seeing any more but torturing him by not knowing what was fully happening. Ace leaned down once more and pressed another kiss to Eric’s kiss-bruised lips.

“ _Ace, Ace…_ Ace, stop!” Paul cried, throwing his arm out. Ace flinched when Paul slapped his arm.

“Fuck you!” Ace stuck his tongue out at him. How could Paul try and deny him now? How could he? He’d lost out on Ace of his own volition. He deserved to know exactly what he’d been missing all those months while he’d run off with Gene. Settled in with Gene because he couldn’t handle Ace. Couldn’t handle the man who’d been there from the beginning. Too much of a fucking coward to even tell Ace he loved him-- and now Paul had the nerve to try to cut in on _his_ fun? Like he had the right anymore. Like he ever did. The anger was hard for him to keep, though, when Eric wrapped an arm around his neck, yanking him down again for another deep kiss.

“No, _fuck you,_ Ace!” A deeper, much more commanding voice rang out behind the lead guitarist. Ace didn’t have a moment to blink before a much stronger arm unwrapped Eric’s arm and wrapped itself around his neck. It hauled him straight from Eric’s grasp, and Ace gave an undignified yelp as his back hit the bar.

Eric, still flushed and panting, quickly found himself being gathered into Gene’s arms. On instinct, the drummer leaned into the warm body and relaxed. “ _Gene…_ ”

Gene couldn’t respond to him. He was much too busy trying to keep his jaw shut as to avoid drawing any more attention their way. If Paul’s crying hadn’t already done that for them anyway…

Ace made a face at him. “You greedy bastard…”

“ _Gene…_ ” Eric repeated, softly. Lust fueled his motions, and he hardly noticed as his own hands reached around to rest themselves down over the back pockets of Gene’s pants. Gene drew in a deep breath, trying to keep focused instead of lose focus on how good that felt right now.

“Enough of this. We’re leaving. All of us.”

“Fuck you! We’ve only been here three hours!” Ace was rubbing his back, wincing hard. “We were having fun! You think you gotta have everything, don’t you?! You gotta take control! You don’t give a fuck--” Ace stumbled forward then, fists balled, trying for Gene even though Eric was right in front of him. He didn’t get more than a few steps toward them before tripping, falling forward onto his stomach and side of his face, hard, the breath knocked out of him.

“Shit! Ace!” Eric wriggled out of Gene’s grasp, scurrying over and reaching a hand out for him to take. Ace just groaned weakly.

“Paul, get a cab,” Gene snapped, verbally yanking Paul out of his transfixed, strained state, at least for a few seconds. “I’ll get him up. Eric, you, too. Go on. He’s fucking wasted.”

Eric glanced from Gene to Paul to Ace on the floor, looking utterly bewildered.

“Don’t you need help?”

Paul cut in, shakily. His breathing was too fast, and his hand had found the glass of Coke, clamping onto it like a lifeline. He thought he understood. Gene was just trying to keep Ace from upsetting him-- but no. No, this wasn’t Gene’s style. Gene would’ve barked at him to ignore them, or whispered about what he was going to do to him once they got back to the hotel. He wouldn’t manhandle Ace just for the sake of whatever remained of Paul’s honor. Would he? And if not, why in the world had he done that?

“Gene, you shouldn’t have-- you’re overreacting--”

“Just get the cab.”

“Gene-”

“Eric!” Eric’s head snapped around to look at Gene. “Eric, take Paul and go grab a damn cab.”

“Gene--” Paul tried again but was shot down as Gene just completely ignored him. He just watched him walk over to Ace and start lifting him up off the ground. Eric pulled at his arm a few times, basically dragging Paul away and out of the club before they really made a scene.

The darkness and flashing lights of the nightclub began to fade away as they walked closer to the well lit entrance. Eric kept glancing back between Paul and the front door, noticing how he just kept staring back behind them. Was he just waiting for Gene to come out from the crowd with Ace in his arms? ...Was he waiting to see if just Gene walked out?

Eric bit his lip. God, he couldn’t help himself… The thought just came tumbling out from the corners of his mind. Months of touring with a group of guys really let a person get to know and understand his fellow bandmates. All those hotels, hotel rooms and clubs they went to… If Gene and Paul thought just because they were in a dark corner of some disco without their makeup on that they wouldn’t be recognized and be seen kissing, then they were sorely mistaken. Eric had turned a blind eye, figuring if they wanted to be open about it, they’d say so, but knowing hadn’t stopped the longing. Whatever Gene and Paul had, it was obviously going pretty good for them. Paul was a lot more relaxed when Gene was around, especially. But that just made it worse.

He didn’t want to invade a relationship they hadn’t even told him about-- even discarding band dynamics, that would be wrong, pure and simple-- but he’d love to be with Gene. Ever since he’d stuck out his hand to introduce himself during that audition, he’d been nursing a crush that had only gotten worse over the past few months. And Gene couldn’t have been more obvious, either, stealing glances, leaning in against him during photoshoots when he really didn’t need to. Even snagging that Barcelona chick!

He knew Gene liked him. And he knew Gene wasn’t in a position to do anything about it-- and hell if Eric intended to barge in and homewreck. Even the thought of that was really hard to swallow when Paul was walking right alongside him, posture slumped and tense all at once.

Even from outside, the beat of the music still made the ground vibrate beneath them. Eric left Paul leaning against the side of the building while he jumped over to the edge of the sidewalk. He opened his mouth, then closed it.

Eric turned around to look at the singer. “Ahh… Paul…?”

“What?” Paul didn’t even try to hide how tired he sounded right then and there.

“What’s the French word for taxi?”

“.... _Taxi._ ”

“Oh, okay. Sorry. Just wanna make sure.” Eric rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Then he hailed down a car big enough to fit the four of them in. “Hey, _yo,_ taxi! Over here!”

The door of the nightclub swung open just as the cab pulled up, and Gene and Ace both came walking out. Well, Ace came stumbling out, hardly able to walk on either of his own two feet and cursing Gene’s name every other second. Gene just glared straight ahead, ignoring every word that came spewing from his mouth.

Paul came running over the moment the two of them came out. “Gene…” he looked from Gene to Ace, then back to Gene. The lead guitarist was being half held in an uncomfortable fashion that he’d probably bitch about being in later. “Do you need help?”

Gene grunted in what might’ve been agreement. Paul took it as such, at least, grabbing Ace’s arm with one hand and steadying his back with the other, freeing up Gene to do the same.

“Oh, fuck you, too, Paulie,” Ace mumbled as they walked to the taxi. Paul didn’t respond at first, which just made Ace get louder. “Fuck you, too!”

“Shut up.”

“ _You_ shut up, you whiny, prissy little bitch--” Ace started, then nearly tripped again, with only Paul and Gene’s grips keeping him from falling face first into the concrete. It was Gene that really shoved him into the cab, diving in next to him immediately, just in case he got any more ideas about spewing shit to anyone else. Paul warily got in after them. Eric just squeezed in behind him, smushing his arm and the side of his face against the window, not saying a word.

“Où vais-je conduire, messieurs?” The driver looked back in the rearview mirror and asked them.

“What?” Eric blinked.

“Fuck you, Gene--”

“Gene…” Paul whined, quietly beside him. His nails were digging into his thighs through his pants, and Gene gently smacked them. Paul withdrew his hand, an injured look forming on his face in an instant, head slumping down.

God, why did this have to feel like a roadtrip with five-year-olds all of a sudden? Hell, even the driver quickly caught onto their whiny, ridiculous American-ness.

“Ah… _Americans…._ ”

Eric nodded, “Ahh, yeah… _Sprichst du Englisch?_ ”

“Eric… No. No, that’s German. Wrong country.” Gene shook his head. “Entirely different country.”

“Fuck both of you-”

“Shut up, Ace.” Gene sighed, deeply and trying real hard to keep it together for everyone’s sake… again. He just leaned up and offered up the card with the name of their hotel on it, not even bothering to read it off. He didn’t feel like showing off tonight.

Thankfully, after they started driving down the road, Ace just went dead quiet and slumped against his window. His sudden quietness only drew concern from the lead singer, and Gene couldn’t help but notice Paul’s eyes darting guiltily over to him every once in a while. It stung just a bit… For as much as that stung, though, it didn’t sting nearly as hard as his own glances over to Eric.

When Eric had just turned into him and nuzzled up against his chest, Gene couldn’t deny the blaze that began to burn in his heart. God, it was setting him aflame, driving him mad and… and going to ruin everything. It was going to destroy everything. Gene was going to drive the final nail in the coffin of KISS with his damn feelings… and fuck… he knew it was getting harder and harder for him to resist.

The moment the cab pulled up to the hotel, Gene was snapping his fingers to Eric to go ahead and open up his door and get out. Eric stumbled out, then Paul. Gene shoved a couple of francs the driver’s way, then hauled Ace out of the vehicle, not bothering to be gentle- just yanking him out by the arm and throwing him up on his feet.

Ace tried to get another swing in at Gene, but he just fell right back into his arms, instead.

“Paulie… Paulie… stole ‘em… ruined us…” he muttered, incoherently. 

Gene shot him a bit of side eye, then lifted him up and supported him as they all walked into the lobby. Paul shuffled along beside them, letting Eric be the first to reach the elevator and press the button for it.

“Gene… please, _please…_ what happened?”

“Not now. Paul… later, alright? Alright?” he asked him, gently, softening his tone for him. It was enough for Paul to nod in agreement to, but he still wrapped his arms nervously around himself. Gene really wanted to drop Ace and just gather Paul up in his arms right then and there, but he cursed Ace for not allowing him to be able to do that.

The rode up to the fourth floor and stepped out, silently. Gene and Ace’s room was the first door on the left, and Eric and Paul’s was the second right across the hall. The hotel had been wary enough, or smart enough, to not let them book rooms directly next to each other. Maybe they’d heard about Ace and Peter’s cutting holes in the wall back a couple years ago.

Next time, Gene swore mentally, next time Paul and him would get their rooms together again. He couldn’t deal with any more slumber parties or coke binges of Ace’s, and he couldn’t deal with this nonsense of his anymore. No, screw that! He wouldn’t be dealing with it anymore! It was too fucking insane.

“I’ll be in to check in on you two in a minute,” Paul spoke up. It caught Gene off guard, and it turned his attention to the lead singer.

Check in on? Like children who couldn’t be trusted in a room by themselves for five minutes? What, did Paul not want to leave Ace alone with him? Hell, he wasn’t going to smother him with a pillow… they still had the rest of the tour and that would be waaaaay too much money to lose out on. Still, he should’ve smothered him for the shit he pulled tonight… But, no. No. There was something there… Something in Paul’s tone… It sounded too soft, too protective for it to be anything but concern for his partner.

 _“Which one of us, though?”_ The thought rang clearly in the back of his mind, and Gene swallowed dryly at it. After trying to prop Ace against the side of the wall, he dug out their room key from his back pocket and unlocked the door, leading him in. Paul let out a long sigh as the door shut behind them, glancing across the hall at Eric, who’d been watching from their door. He unlocked it, and Paul followed him in, mutely sitting on his bed and slowly buttoning his shirt back up. Eric, though, had no intention of letting him stew in silence.

“Paul, what’s really going on here?” His tone wasn’t accusatory, and wasn’t just curious, either. “What got you all bent out of shape about the kissing? And… and Gene, God, I thought he was gonna kill Ace there for a minute.”

“I don’t know about Gene,” Paul said flatly.

“I know he’s not… you know, I know he doesn’t care about gay shit,” Eric blurted, and then added belatedly, “I mean, he’s fine with Bill and stuff, so…”

Paul started to laugh dryly, rubbing his forehead.

“Maybe he thought Ace was taking advantage. I don’t know.”

“Couldn’t he tell, though? I mean, yeah, it caught me off-guard, but… damn, in the heat of the moment like that…” Eric trailed hopelessly. That five minute makeout had been far hotter than any distraction tactic ever should’ve been, leaving him more warm and malleable than he’d ever counted on out of Ace. Paul watched his expression soften as he drifted into thinking about it, at least until Eric cleared his throat to continue. “But that doesn’t explain you.”

“Me?” Shit. Paul’s face fell briefly before he forced it back into interview-ready neutrality. “Ace pulls stupid shit like that all the time. Do you know how many places we’ve been kicked out of because of him? Nothing against you, I’d just had enough.”

“We wouldn’t have been kicked out there.” Eric’s voice was quiet and even. “Look… I know I’ve only been in KISS a couple months. I know there’s things I’m not privy to. That’s fine. But if there’s something I ought to know, you guys ought to tell me. All right?”

“... All right.”

Eric looked at Paul, still rubbing his head as if it were on the verge of exploding if he didn’t. He waited for a minute, then a minute more, then walked over to put a hand awkwardly on his shoulder.

“You don’t want to talk about it. Okay.” Eric patted Paul’s shoulder, feeling a little like a kid petting a particularly fluffy, miserable cat. “You go check on Gene and Ace, yeah? I don’t think you wanna get a new lead guitarist in the middle of the tour.”

“Yeah…”

“Go on, go see them. Hopefully, they worked some of the tension out…”

Unfortunately, even from the other side of the hall, they both heard Ace’s yelling clear as day as he screeched at Gene at the top of his lungs.

“ _Fuck you-_ You- You selfish, greedy bastard, mother fucker- friend stealing bastard! I hope you choke on his dick!” Ace shouted, throwing Gene’s arm off him and stumbling over to the mini-bar.

Gene just sneered at him, leaning back and crossing his arms at him. “You did this to yourself, Ace. Don’t go blaming me…”

“ _I DO BLAME YOU!_ ” Ace roared, ripping the door open. His eyes widened when he saw that all the alcohol in the fridge had been replaced with bottles of water. He blinked, then started to laugh, eerily, turning his head to Gene. “You- H _ahA_ aA _Ha_ h, You fuckin’ took out all the booze- AHaH _Ha! Ar- Are you fuckin’ serious?!_ ”

Ace’s hand reached in and grabbed the glass bottle of ginger ale, throwing the bottle at the wall beside Gene. He watched it shatter and growled. “Missed…”

Gene didn’t even bothering glancing at the wall. Instead, he sucked in a deep breath and puffed out his chest. “Paul doesn’t want to see you wasting away to nothing… And hell, you should be thanking me for even considering you.” Ace scoffed at him. “If it weren’t for Paul… Listen, he just wants you to stop doing this to yourself.”

Ace’s nostrils flared. “That’s rich coming from that whore! H- How many times did he suck your dick to get you say that lil’ speech?!”

“Ah, screw you! You should be on your fucking knees thanking him- thanking us! God knows you don’t contribute shit these days. Why we even bother…” Gene trailed off, muttering under his breath.

“ _What was that?!_ ” Ace shot up from the floor, raising to his full height. Still shorter than Gene, but he definitely made his point by managing to get himself to his feet and walk straight over to him without even a stumble. Gene felt his back press against the wall before he could even blink. “What did you say!?”

Gene glared at him, then said, “I said, I don’t even know why we even bother keeping you around these days--”

He didn’t even get to finish his sentence before he felt a harsh slap right across the face. It was the final straw. Gene snapped and slapped Ace back just as hard. Ace reeled back, falling back onto the first bed.

Gene rubbed at his cheek. This was the first time either of them had honestly struck one another, and he hoped it would be their last.

Ace touched his cheek slowly. It was already starting to bruise and leave a mark. Nothing makeup couldn’t cover, but still… Luckily, though, it was enough to force Ace to sober up just a bit- enough to make him see the damage he had done to Gene and the broken bottle. Something seemed to snap in him, and Ace suddenly had tears pouring from the corners of his eyes.

“No… No, no, no! I- I can’t-- _won’t_ do this anymore…!” Ace cried, voice cracking, “I won’t stay in this band! _I won’t!_ ”

“...Ace, you _can’t_ mean that--”

“YES! _YES I FUCKIN’ DO!_ ” Ace sobbed out.

Gene approached him, carefully, slowly. “Ace… Ace, you’re drunk. You’re tired and upset… you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Oh, _fuck you,_ you despicable bastard…” Ace shook his head. It didn’t help that Gene had tried to wrap an arm around him. He yelled when Gene tried to hug him. He hit him on the arm repeatedly, tried pulling away, kicking, but nothing worked. “Let go of me! I don’t want you! I- I want Paulie! Paulie, Pau _lie! Please…! Paulie!_ ”

“Ace- Ace, calm down--”

“ _PAULIE!!!_ ” he cried out as loud as he could for him to hear, fat, salty tears running down his cheeks.

“ _Ace!_ ”

“ _PLEASE! Please! Ch_ rist… Paulie… don’t leave me. I’ll change! I swear… Just please stay! Please, please, please, please,” he cried over and over again, finally giving in and turning into Gene’s hug. He gripped his shirt with an iron grip and sobbed loudly into his chest. “Please, ple _ase… I love you… I love you… I love you…_ ”

“Ace… I’m not…”

“ _I KNOW!_ I-I fucking know… but… but y-you smell like him… got his cologne all over your shirt… fucking, fucking Aramis…” Ace started to laugh through his sobs, the sound like broken glass. “He always, always puts on too fucking much. I told him… I told him…”

“Ace, listen--”

“You’ll give it to me, won’t you? _Won’t you?_ Y-you took my everything, you took my Paulie-- you owe me this much! All right? J-just a little… just a-a fucking souvenir… please, _please…_ ” Ace’s fingers scraped against Gene’s shirt before finding the buttons, all but tearing them off as his mouth pressed hard against Gene’s neck. “I need it… I need _him,_ I can’t… Gene, I can’t…”

Gene’s hands felt like they were moving through cement as he reached to grab Ace’s wrists. Guilt, guilt over Paul, over Eric, was swelling through him. He thought he might burst even as Ace kept mumbling, kept kissing, nipping, anxious and desperate, against his neck.

“You’re just hurting yourself. Don’t do this.”

“Hurting myself?” Ace cackled. “You’re the one fucking hurting yourself. Y-you don’t know what you got with Paulie… mooning over somebody else as soon as you have him… I didn’t pull that shit… I drink too much, sure, but I didn’t pull that shit… _never..._ ”

 _No, you just got married and had a baby,_ Gene thought, but Paul’s mumbling from that night, the night they broke up, echoed in his mind immediately after: _he loves Jeanette, too, I know he does._ Yeah. Yeah, Gene knew it, too. He knew more about loving two people now than he wanted to. Right now he didn’t feel like he had it in him to call Ace out. Not about that. 

Ace didn’t wait on an answer, jerking his wrists out of Gene’s grip, going right back to the pleas. One hand reached out to toy with Gene’s hair.

“C’mon… just this once, Gene…. ’S as close as I can get, c’mon… I’ll be good for you, I-I’ll be good, just-- please… _please,_ let me have this...”

The words fell heavy on his heart. Gene guessed that Ace must’ve just repeated those very same words over and over again to Paul before they split. And, hell, all he could think about was Ace admitting that he loved Paul. Ace loved Paul, and Paul… Paul loved him just as much- if not more… but their relationship grew toxic. Paul escaped while he could- before any real damage could be done. At least before he was sucked in entirely to Ace’s spiralling addictions. Maybe Paul hadn’t been all that great for Ace, either, with his fragile nerves and enabling tendencies. But none of that mattered just now. Here was Ace, crying his eyes out and pouring out his soul to him. He missed him, loved him, wanted him.

Gene stopped fighting it, albeit reluctantly. He leaned in and kissed Ace slowly at first, drying his tears with his sleeves.

“Ace… you’re going to be fine. We’re going to help you…” Gene whispered softly to him. “We’re right here for you.”

“Too late… fuckin’ too damn late…” Ace murmured against his lips. He knew it was too late. The kind of love him and Paul last shared was too dangerous, capable of destroying both of them, but it was passionate, and exciting, and gave Ace a reason to come to practice every day with a warm smile on his face. Now… Nowadays, he had none of that… no reason to be there, no reason to keep on. The money, the concerts, the records… they didn’t matter. They didn’t fucking matter. If anything, every recording session and every conference and every moment onstage was another icepick in his brain. Sharing a mic with Paul during choruses, leaning in for a quick tabloid pose, hearing Paul scream out _“Ace Frehley on lead guitar,”_ all that only served as ammo for another binge and another binge. Sometimes, at his lowest, he hoped he’d OD. He didn’t even know if he could, but he hoped he could, just to ruin KISS for good and crush Paul’s heart the way he’d crushed his. But it never happened. He always woke up. Always kept breathing, kept forcing himself through the same paces, the same torment, while Paul was just sitting pretty in Gene’s arms.

He could never have Paul again, and he knew it.

Instead, Ace settled for what he could get. He allowed Gene to touch him, feel him up and bring him in close. Allowed him to back him up toward the nearest of the beds. Ace was already curling into his body, but soon he was sitting atop Gene’s lap and nuzzling into him. The kisses didn’t feel familiar, but they tasted faintly of his Paulie and that was all he cared about. 

It was home.

It was warm.

It was love.

Then it was silent.

The door opened on up, and a gasp caught their ears. Gene shut his eyes, knowing exactly who it was standing in the doorway. Ace, on the other hand, turned his head swiftly and started crying again.

“Paulie…! _Paulie!_ ” Ace called out to him, leaning back out of Gene’s grasp and reaching out to him. 

Paul shut the door, but he just kept his back pressed against it as he looked on at the sight of them. He was never good at hiding his emotions, and they ran all across his face. Despite how hard he had tried to shove back the anger that suddenly bubbled up within him, it just boiled over. He couldn’t leave Ace and Gene alone for five damn seconds without Ace trying to ruin something of his! Something he couldn’t have! Wouldn’t have!

“ _Ace…_ what are you doing?” It came out as a low rumble, a tone rarely used by the lead singer. “Get off of him… Now.”

Ace just shrunk back at the tone and moved closer into Gene’s hold.

“Ace! _Get off of him!_ ” Paul cried out, stomping closer to them.

“Paul- Paul, listen… It’s not what you-” Gene tried to reassure him but was cut off.

“Shut up, Gene! You’re done playing peacekeeper tonight! Fuck, look where it got you!” Paul reached over and smacked Gene’s hand off Ace’s back, too bitter and too sore to think about all the emotions from seeing Ace sitting in Gene’s lap flooding into his body.

“Paul! Stop it! He- He’s hurt, too…”

Just like that, Gene saw the switch flip in Paul. Those chocolate eyes darkened at him and his hands balled themselves into fists as he drew himself back away from them. “When the hell did you join _his_ side?”

Gene sighed, deeply, “I’m not joining _his_ side, dammit. _Paul,_ sit down and listen for two seconds-”

“Paulie, Paulie~ Please, c’mon! W- We wanna talk things out for once!” Ace tried looking back at and reaching for him again. “C’mon, Imma try to be civil- is that the word, Gene? Civil? Yeah. Yeah, that!”

“Shut the hell up! I don’t have anything to say to you! We’re _done,_ Ace! End of story! They lived unhappily forever- all thanks to you!”

Ace’s extended hand fell silently. “Paulie… I was just trying to be… I mean… for you-”

“Yeah, well, don’t! Don’t bother! You’re shit at it, Ace! Even fuckin’ worse when you’re drunk off your ass!” Paul snapped, looking away from Ace out of guilt the moment the words spilled from his mouth. A sick feeling started overcoming his stomach. Paul could feel it stabbing at his heart, and even his eyes were starting to water. 

“...I love you.”

And there it was. Ace didn’t need to go off on some sort of rant or bitchy tantrum, all he needed to say was that. And this time, Paul knew that that was the sober Ace deep in him talking. 

He’d never said it before. He’d never said it. _I like you_ was as far as it had ever gotten for either of them. But it could’ve been more. It should’ve been more. The actions had never been enough for all that they’d tried to make them suffice. If he’d told Paul that before… if Paul had told Ace that before… maybe they wouldn’t be here right now. Maybe they could’ve fixed everything.

Maybe they still could.

Paul could feel the tears start to pour from his eyes, snot dripping from his nose. He tried to turn further away from the two of them to hide his tears, but he couldn’t stop the sound of his sniffling and quick breaths. Even though he tried to hold them down, Paul couldn’t help but let the sobs build up in his chest.

“Paul? Paul…? Oh, come here…” Gene’s voice had softened for him. It sounded so nice right now, and Paul choked on his tears at it. 

Paul’s feet didn’t make a sound as he stepped closer to them. Gene gently moved Ace onto one thigh in order to give Paul room to climb up into his lap. Paul nuzzled into him, forever enjoying how Gene radiated warmth. And now more than normal, Paul was desperate to wrap himself up in that warmth.

“Paul…” Gene crooned down softly to him. Paul buried his nose in the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply, losing himself and hiding from reality there.

“Paulie… Paulie, did you hear? Did you-”

“Ace, shush. Quiet time, for now, okay?” Gene slipped into ‘teacher mode’ for a split second. “You can talk after.”

Ace nodded slowly, then laid his head against Gene’s shoulder, just content to watch his Paulie right now.

Of course, quiet time could hardly last when Gene was rubbing Paul’s back so softly, so slowly like this. How could Gene expect it to when Paul kept nuzzling into him, too?

It didn’t take long before the bassist found a soft pair of lips pressing right up against his, needily. Beside them, they heard Ace draw in a gentle breath at the sight, but neither paid him any mind. Still, Paul squeezed his eyes shut anyway.

“You look beautiful, Paul. Always have…” Ace murmured. His voice was so soft, so soothing that it was enough to make Paul open his eyes once more. His eyes flickered down to the lead guitarist, staring directly into his for a moment. For that moment, Paul saw those old stars twinkle in the Spaceman’s eyes. _They only ever did for me,_ Paul thought to himself. His lip trembled, breath hitching as he broke the kiss, pulling away from Gene. He couldn’t bear to look at Gene now, not for reassurance or permission or anything. It was wrong of him, it was fucked-up of him-- but it was just as fucked-up to walk in on Gene and Ace holding each other, kissing each other as if they hadn’t been about to exchange blows in the club less than an hour ago.

His mouth found Ace’s before he even realized it. For a second nothing had changed. He was melting into the familiarity of Ace’s soft lips and the press of his tongue, the familiarity of Ace’s teeth grazing lightly against the edge of his mouth. He tasted like alcohol, the way he always did. But there was something else there, something needy and miserable and desperate Paul knew he couldn’t kiss away. He tried. He tried. Mouthing the words he couldn’t seem to give voice to against Ace’s neck, licking up sweat and the remnants of tears.

“Paulie…” Ace croaked out. “You heard me, yeah? You know…”

Paul nodded then pulled away from Ace for a moment. He couldn’t stop his heart from falling out and sinking down to the floor.

“Paul, baby… I know- I know this isn’t gonna change things between you and Geno. It isn’t gonna stop that… ’m not gonna do that to you. But please, please don’t hate me. Don’t hate me for loving you.” Ace pleaded with him. “Cause right now- for right now- that’s all I’m guilty of. I love you, Paul.”

“Ace…” Gene swallowed, glancing between them. Paul was curling up tighter in his grasp with each word Ace let slip from his lips, and he was getting that urge to snatch Paul up in his arms and carry him out of the situation. It wasn’t good for th-- wasn’t good for Paul. Maybe it was a balm on Ace and Paul’s nerves both right now, but what about tomorrow? What about _him?_ Where was he going to fit into all this? Instead, before he could even blink, Paul leaned forward and cut Ace’s pleas off.

Ace was silenced by Paul’s lips crashing back against his own. Paul could feel Ace grabbing his hands up in his and rubbing them, as if he were comforting him just like in the old days. It felt so good… So much like how they first made out… soft and sweet and uncomplicated. Maybe because it had been so long since they had done this, kissed like this, been together like this. Paul would’ve been lying to himself if he said he hadn’t missed it even a little bit, and he guiltily admitted it to himself as he let Ace’s tongue slip back in his mouth.

Ace’s lips were soft, slightly chapped, and working so beautifully against his own. Paul savored the feeling. It was like if he just shut his eyes, then it was like all three of them were back in that hotel room two years ago. Nothing complicated, nothing messy, just out for a good time. Riding high on KISS’ success, eager for anything. Before the solo albums had failed, before Dynasty had drifted below expectations. Before Peter fell apart. 

Before everything went to hell in a handbasket.

“Paul…” Gene murmured softly to him, catching his attention. Paul pulled back from Ace and leaned his body closer to his partner’s, squeezing Ace’s hands in reassurance as he did.

“Gene… Gene, I- I… Can we? For tonight?” The singer implored him, the light of the room catching the teary trail that had stained his cheeks. “ _Please…_ Just tonight…? He… Ace needs us… Please.”

Gene wanted to groan. Wanted to smack them both upside the head. Wanted to shout at Paul for even suggesting that crazy idea and enabling Ace once more! What the hell was Paul’s problem? After all the girlfriends and groupies, how was Ace, drunken, wasted, miserable _Ace_ the one he was coming back to? How could an addict like him mean so much to Paul? Why did they still have something he couldn’t share in? He wanted to shove his head out the window and scream to the heavens above. But as he looked down at his partner, and he caught those sad, loving eyes… Fuck, he should’ve been stronger. Gene should’ve been able to resist it. But it was Paulie sitting right down on his lap. His Paulie holding Ace’s hands tightly, as if he never wanted to let him go again.

“Paul… I trust you.” Gene sighed, reluctantly.

“Okay.” Paul bobbed his head, almost nervously, biting his lip. He squeezed Ace’s hands, willing himself not to cry or ramble or say any stupid shit, but his eyes were watering a little again anyway. He blinked the tears back before they could come, fingers shifting to take Ace’s wrists, lifting them up to rest on the front of his shirt. Ace’s hands trembled as he started to undo the buttons, one by one, pressing his face against Paul’s neck when he was done, fingers splaying against his bare chest as he breathed in the scent of his cologne with a few sharp shudders.

“Paulie…”

“Whatever you want, whatever you want, Ace… tonight, I swear…”

“I don’t care,” Ace mumbled, the words muffled against his chest, “I don’t care, just stay here… be with me…”

“Ace, Ace~” Paul crooned out that old familiar call, sending Ace shivering against him. “Whatever you want~”

“Want you, want you so much…” Ace trailed off, his brown eyes suddenly sharp on Paul’s face. He pulled him back off of Gene’s lap slowly, gently and let him settle back against the bed. Ace crawled atop the comforter and pulled on Paul’s waist until he was lying down on his side facing him. From behind, Paul could feel Gene rub over his sides, hands avoiding his waist where Ace had claimed him, but rubbing everywhere else.

Paul breathed out a deep sigh, then glanced up at Ace. The guitarist’s grin was a lazy, sprawling thing, spreading wide and happily over his face. Paul had never been able to resist it. Not back in ‘’73, sitting together at the fire escape, back when their only real trouble was sneaking back into Ace’s room without disturbing his parents. Not now. He wanted to kiss it. Wanted to kiss that smile over and over again if that would make it stay there. If that would bring everything back, pull Ace back together, and maybe even pull Paul himself back, too. They could fix things still-- God, maybe, maybe they could fix things-- 

Ace rubbed at his hip and shifted closer, burying his nose in Paul’s dark curls. His breath so hot against his neck.

“I want you, Paulie… Love you so much~”

Paul nodded but didn’t answer. An old pained expression crossed Ace’s face for a moment- only two seconds- but Paul didn’t catch it. Gene caught it from where he sat, though. It looked knowing and accepting. He had seen so many people wear it before… It was usually held by those who accepted the hand life had dealt them. But why did Ace look like he just accepted it?

He didn’t have time to dwell on it.

Ace nuzzled into Paul and murmured to him. “Want to make you feel good again… Want it so bad…” he told him, his lips soft on Paul’s skin. “ _Mui mel, mui Paul. Mui emel na- Paul's an all anand._ ”

“Ace… _Im ask -o cin. Hi tur- onlui n- an tonighte. See nin a see nin baw morea._ ”

Gene blinked in confusion. He looked between the two of them, and couldn’t help but ask, “What are you two saying?”

Ace shook his head at him. “ _Paul, thír. Ho does heni- cin like im ceri-. Im ceri-!_ ”

Paul sighed, “ _Gene feeli nin, Ace. Ho blochks nin, adorens nin. Im tur- relui bo hon an all anand. Im baur hon an limb loenger thaan i ithil's turne._ ...Now speak English. It’s unfair to Gene- he doesn’t know Jendell- I want him to hear this. He deserves to hear us.”

“Paul, shit, you don’t get it, just-- just listen to me, please... “ and then, desperately, “What do you want, Paul? What can’t I give you? Was the last seven years not enough? Y-you really think you’ve got a better shot with him? Paul, you don’t even got a fucking clue--”

“I’ve been listening! I’ve been-- I’ve been trying, it’s no good! Ace, we can’t keep on. Not like we were. It wasn’t fair--”

“Who cares about fair?! Who cares about fair when we need each other! When you love me! I know you do! I-I know you do, even if you won’t say it!” Ace swallowed. “Is it Jeanette? ‘M not apologizing for that.”

“Dammit, it’s not Jeanette--”

“It’s the booze. I know. I know.” Ace tried to laugh. “I’ll come off it. I-I will. If that’s what it takes, look, if that’s what you want--”

“It’s too late! Too late! Dammit… Ace… I- I…” Paul drifted. He shut his eyes and cursed, then leaned down and set his teeth in Ace’s shoulder, biting down hard enough to silence him, break the conversation, leave it unsettled before lifting his head.

Ace shuddered all over, squeezing his eyes shut. When he opened them, Paul was nose to nose with him. Paulie’s pretty face was very distracting for him. Ace could have- and had before- studied it for hours, memorizing every little detail about it. Just like his makeup, it wasn’t symmetrical. One eye was a little bit bigger, and his nose was kind of uneven. Humans liked symmetrical things, symmetrical faces… they were nicer to look at, or something, but they were wrong. They didn’t know better. They hadn’t seen his Paulie. And Paulie, for all he stared too much at his own reflection, spent most of that time despairing over every flaw, whether hidden or obvious. Worried every time he got his hair cut that the stylist might see his bad ear. Worried the angle was bad during their photoshoots, worried the greasepaint would make him break out, always so terribly worried… for nothing. Paul never really saw how beautiful he was, either. It took an outsider, he thought. It took Ace. Right now, he didn’t want to stare without touching, though. Forgetting about his previous pleading, Ace closed the gap between them and pressed their mouths together.

Behind Paul, Gene breathed a sigh of relief, hands tightening on the singer’s side.

Ace took control of the kiss quickly, pushing Paul’s head back and leaning into his space, tongue hotly demanding of him. Their teeth clicked and bumped together, Paul being shoved back against Gene’s unyielding frame, caught and held there.

Paul sighed softly into Ace’s mouth, surrendering willingly to him. Ace hooked his fingers under Paul’s jaw, angling his face up a bit during their kiss. His other hand slid beneath Paul’s waistband, snaking down towards his groin. Paul groaned when it closed around his dick, and he couldn’t help but buck into the grip, the movements subtle at first, getting more obvious by the second. They hadn’t even really started yet, and already, the bedsprings were beginning to creak as Paul’s hips shoved up.

Ace purred and deepened the kiss, pushing Gene back until he actually had to plant his feet on the floor and actively hold Paul on the bed to keep Ace from shoving him off. It didn’t help that Ace was grinding down on Paul’s thighs, either.

“Jesus, stop pushing,” Gene muttered, shaking his head.

Ace broke the kiss and smirked up at him. “Just eager, Geno. Just eager…”

“ _Ace, Ace~_ ” Paul panted, pressing his lips back to his. “Mhmn, c’mon, c’mon~ Rock me~!”

“I will, Paulie. Trust me, I will~” Ace grinned, cheekily. “But first, let’s get out of these clothes. ...Gene, help us out?”

“Fine.”

Of course, the second Ace asked Gene to help stripping them both down, he forgot his own plan in favor of giving into his own desires. There was just something so tempting about his Paulie, and he knew and loved it. Soft kisses fluttered across the dark hairy expanse of Paul’s chest, so light they almost tickled. Clever fingers found their way to both his nipples, rolling the sensitive nubs between two skilled fingers. Paul moaned aloud and threw his head back against the mattress.

The lead singer began to melt under him, began to really feel like he was turning into jelly, and he knew it was all Ace’s doing. Paul’s head lolled back beside Gene’s hip, baring his Adam’s apple to Ace. The Spaceman didn’t waste any time as his lips attached themselves to Paul’s sensitive skin, sucking hard.

There were too many hands. Too many legs. Too much desire floating around him, for Paul to keep track of anything. He wanted them all on him, selfishly, he wanted them both, but suddenly, he couldn’t command his heavy limbs to do anything. All he could do was watch and pant as his shirt disappeared, and Ace’s and Gene’s just seemed to vanish. Gene’s hands were by his hips, loosening his belt, unbuttoning his jeans and precious seconds later, the sound of his zipper sliding down echoed in the room. Paul’s entire body blushed a lovely red as his jeans and underwear were pulled off in one go, his hard erection slapping against his abdomen loudly.

Both Ace and Gene moaned at the sight that greeted them. Paul’s flawless skin still looked as if it were kissed gently by the sun, toned muscles running like a calm river down his outstretched body, and in the middle, a proud erection bobbed, head ruby red and aching. In that moment, to them, Paul was the most beautiful being either of them had ever had the honor of laying eyes on.

The sound of other zippers being pulled down echoed in the room, along with rustling fabric and soft thuds against the floor before both of his bandmates crawled up on the bed to really join him. The small queen was overly crowded, but somehow, they made it work.

Or tried, at least. Even if Ace had been in anything like a willing mood to share Paul, it would’ve been hard as hell to keep the three of them involved at once. Ace casually kicked Gene’s shin as he made his way back to Paul, straddling him with practiced ease. God… God, he knew how long it had been since their last time like this, even through all the alcohol muddying up his mind. He knew practically down to the day. Knew the last real touch either of them shared between each other. To finally have that back for a moment… God, it was bringing up thoughts from the back of his mind- ones he didn’t need when he was trying to love him.

That was all he ever tried to do, though. Christ, when Ace’s hands rubbed over Paul’s hairy chest, he couldn’t help but rub slowly as he thought about how they never really used to squabble. They never really fought much. Not with each other, at least. Paul just had emotions that could shoot out of nowhere at any time, without much rhyme or reason. He was often depressed, always insecure behind the Starchild facade, and he’d lash out when the pressure got to be too much, when a reporter’s remark or a scathing album review or a high groupie managed to cut through. It was like he’d never fully gotten over being bullied as a kid. Maybe it was the kind of thing you just didn’t get over; Ace didn’t know. Ace had never minded it because it had never been directly aimed towards him a lot of the time. Even in times where he had gotten a full armload of Paul’s emotions, Ace was always quick to lean out and comfort him, give him that touch that his Paulie always craved. Then things went back to being calm for a little bit.

They were still best friends, and they still had great times together. The ebb and flow of their relationship was natural. Normal. Maybe Ace was kidding himself, but he figured they were downright _healthy,_ for rockstars. Sometimes they drifted awhile, went a couple weeks, maybe a month without seeing each other, keeping company with groupies or girlfriends instead. Not out of malice or anger, either, there were just too many other people, too many open beds and open legs. It was an unspoken understanding between them. But then the next tour got scheduled, or Casablanca demanded another album, or Paul would call him up long-distance asking him to come by his house, and it was like no time had passed at all.

Along the way, they always managed to find compromises to avoid the worst of the arguing. It never went away completely, but it did get easier to live with. But then Ace knew he started taking the bottle up more, partying harder with Peter more, doing harder drugs- stronger drugs… mixing coke and booze in a hellish cocktail that meant he could keep going for days at a time, always chasing that first high, the best high. Apart from a little experimenting early on, Paul hadn’t followed him into the drug scene. Too scared to, or maybe just too smart to. The more Ace used, the greater the wedge between them, until Paul couldn’t handle it- handle him anymore.

Even during the worst of it, however, Paul never shied away from Ace’s touches, even when Ace was quite the handsy drunk. Afterwards- Christ, it was always after they fucked- Paul always just leaned into him, grabbed him and pulled him close and just whispered to him softly. Ace could still hear those gentle pleads to cut back some, even if it was just a little bit. That was all Paul was asking of him at first. All Ace could remember was nodding, then forgetting, then kissing him goodnight… Nothing stuck by morning. Paul just let him continue, Ace just kept pushing himself…

Ace’s hands stopped rubbing Paul’s chest, and he groaned. He didn’t need this tonight… He didn’t want this tonight… No. No, no, no. All he wanted was his Paulie. That was all he needed.

Paul turned his head, glancing over at Gene, starting to shift a bit to the side, maybe to offer Gene a little access-- but Ace just leaned in, pressing Paul down by the shoulder as he stole another rough kiss. What did it matter? Hadn’t Paul gotten permission, as if he fucking needed it? Hadn’t they both ignored his feelings enough? Didn’t he have the right to be selfish here? Paul had said this was the last time, this was it. Ace didn’t want to believe that. Wanted this to change things, to fix things back together. But fuck if he was gonna have what might be his last chance with Paul bungled and interrupted by the guy who’d taken him away. 

His cock rubbed up against Paul’s thigh as he started to stroke Paul’s dick, drinking in each sharp cry and jerk of his hips, making him bolder. He let go of Paul’s shoulder briefly, sticking out a hand to Gene, still sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for a chance Ace wasn’t going to give him. Thankfully, after a brief confused look, Gene seemed to understand, mutely handing over a condom from his wallet, and tossing the lube from the nightstand, aim intentionally poor as hell. But somehow Ace caught both items, offering a snide thumbs-up before he slid the condom on and started to slick them both up. He tried not to wonder if Gene had fucked him earlier today, if they’d had a quickie or just some lazy morning sex before breakfast. If Gene had been in his exact position hours before. It wasn’t doing him any good. It was just ruining the now; God, Gene was ruining it without even touching Paul. He wouldn’t let him.

“Paul…” he trailed softly.

Ace shifted back some off of him and lifted one of Paul’s legs up with both hands, letting the other fall gently to the sheets below. The guitarist pressed a kiss to Paul’s ankle and his gaze didn’t leave Paul’s own. Heat flared deep within his chest, and Paul swallowed, dryly, watching as Ace nipped at the flesh of his instep, bit down into his calf. Little goosebumps began to scatter across Paul’s arms as Ace left dark, bold claiming bruises up his legs and deep between his inner thighs. Ace sucked one of his balls into his mouth, and Paul could no longer form words, couldn’t for the life of him. He was too busy seeing stars.

By the time Ace finally reached Paul’s chest, he was biting into a nipple and sending Paul’s back into a graceful arch. The lead singer’s hands grasped at the back of Ace’s head, tangling themselves up in his messy hair,nails digging themselves into his scalp and nape with every tug and twist of Ace’s mouth around his chest.

Panting up a storm, Paul finally glanced back down to his body and drew in a sharp breath. Ace was leaving bruises _everywhere!_ Along his stomach, thighs, chest and neck! God, there wasn’t a single spot left on him that Ace hadn’t claimed as his own! But fuck if Paul didn’t moan with every sink of teeth into his flesh, every harsh suck. His cock was straining needily between them, and he could feel Ace’s brushing his leg with every movement of his lithe body.

Paul oh so desperately wanted to do something- say something in return, but he could barely think, could barely move as his body turned to jello pudding beneath him. Ace didn’t seem to mind, because his lips hadn’t stopped once, not even to talk or laugh like they used to.

Gene was the one who tried to take up the speaking role. He cleared his throat, eyes glancing down at Paul’s dick as if he wanted to wrap his hand around it. “Am I going to-”

“ _ **Fuck off!**_ ” Ace growled, deeply. He lifted his eyes for a moment, glaring straight up at Gene for all it was worth, and it was enough to have him shift over to the headboard from where he sat on the edge of the bed watching them.

“A- Ace! No! I want Gene here, too- I- I--” Paul tried to find his voice again, but he was silenced as Ace pressed a wet, opened mouthed kiss beneath Paul’s jutting cock.

“ _Mine… My Paulie…_ I get to have you now…” Ace murmured, softly. “And right now, I’m not done worshipping you just yet, baby.”

“ _Ace, Ace~_ ” Paul found himself crying out, wantonly. He heard Gene mutter something sullen and acrid under his breath, but he couldn’t help it! It was too much! Too much!

Ace prepared him slowly, methodically, the same way he shuffled a deck of playing cards to keep the aces all stacked on top. His fingers hadn’t lost a day of practice as they reached down and stretched Paul open, slick with lube and leaking down the crack of his ass. Ace mouthed at his balls, his thighs, bit down a few times, wanting to hear his Paulie moan for him. The moan only grew louder as the tips of Ace’s fingers hit his prostate.

Paul didn’t know how much longer he was going to last until _finally_ Ace maneuvered him over onto his stomach. Paul’s belly flipped a few times in anticipation, knees adjusting themselves to the softness of the mattress beneath them. God, he fell back into his position so easily with Ace at his back. He glanced back over his shoulder to watch Ace’s body settle at his ass.

Ace’s erection was ready for him, and Paul wanted all of it- wanted all of Ace! The stab of arousal was so sharp, so desperate in him, that Paul could’ve sworn he was dying over it. His body flexed, and he never felt so ready or willing for him like this before. It was just absolutely cosmic!

Ace’s hands spread over Paul’s back, settled at his hips and pulled him back to rub his long cock between his prepared cheeks. It was hot, hard and it caught on the rim just enough to send Paulie’s mind into a lusty, hazy fit of emotions.

When he first pressed into him, Paul stopped breathing. His fingers curled into the sheets below, nearly ripping them. The fire in his chest rose and burned a path up and down his spine, settling down in the warmth at the base of his cock. He could feel his own precum leaking from the tip, dribbling down onto the bed. Ace groaned lowly behind him, hands tight- absolutely possessive- on his hips and breathing getting labored.

“Paul… Oh, Paulie, _my Paulie~_ ” Ace crooned, reverent, “ _Oh, I missed you…!_ ”

Paul shivered at his words; they were just spilling out past his lips without a second thought and being totally honest with him. _It was just because he was drunk, it was just because he was drunk…_ Paul tried to remind himself of that, but he couldn’t stop himself from biting down hard into his bottom lip to try and contain his own words- his own soft praises and cries. It was getting so hard to resist falling back into this- this madness he had barely escaped from the first time! Now here he was balancing on the edge of the knife… God, if Gene weren’t right next to him, then he didn’t know what would happen after this…

Paul’s lips finally opened, but he didn’t cry out anything but Ace’s name. Begging him to _move!_ He finally tore the sheets, he was so desperate for him. Anything to stop the fire burning deep within him, anything to help move that long cock snap in and out of him. Ace just grinned.

The Spaceman’s eyes wandered over until they met the Demon’s. _Mine…_ He mouthed the words, and Gene read them clear as day, and his smile just grew as Gene fumed on his edge of the bed.

After letting his Paulie relax into the stretch, Ace finally began to move for him. Slow, steady thrusts, lube slicking the way. Paul couldn’t stop the sounds falling from his lips, throaty, coarse moans getting lost into the sheets under his face. 

Ace moaned happily above him, and Paul could feel him shift, adjusting to another position before a hand dipped down under Paul’s throat. Skilled fingers curled around its base and yanked Paul backwards, and his body writhed a bit as it struggled to hold the angle. Paul gasped sharply, eyes blown wide as Ace’s teeth sunk down next to his deformed ear, then licked away the burn. “I want to hear you say it…”

Paul tried to move his head down, but the firm hand at his throat prevented that. Instead, he just swallowed, feeling that heavy pressure around his neck. 

“Ace…”

“Say it…”

“Ace, I- I…” Paul fell quiet, then gasped aloud. Those sharp hips had slammed into him, and Paul groaned, knowing that his ass would be bruised just as much as the rest of him in the morning. No matter how this ended, no matter what happened, he’d be watching all the evidence of tonight blossom and fade on his skin for at least the next week. Maybe longer.

“Say it, Paul. Please… Please, please. I need this- need to hear it!” Ace pleaded down to him.

Paul could feel his harsh, heavy breaths against the back of his neck, nose nuzzling between his thick, black curls to get to the flesh beyond them. A sharp bite to the top of his spine sent Paul keening, breathing haggard and throat pressing firm into the hand holding him up.

“Paul… _Jiak liwo desiret lat tor gith ekko, Paul._ ” Ace murmured, softly to him. It was enough- more than enough for Paul’s vision to starburst and his chest to tighten up and-- _and--_

Paul exploded across the sheets below, white ribbons shooting out from him and not a single sound coming from his throat. Ace’s grip finally loosened, and Paul took in a deep breath of air as his intense orgasm began to fade just a bit. Paul shouted out, Ace’s cock still slamming into his prostate with alarming accuracy.

“Ace, Ace... _Ace,_ ” Paul whispered hoarsely, head leaning back against him. He swallowed, heavily. “ _Ace, I love you…_ ”

Ace’s hips stopped for a second.

“Say- Say it again…!”

“ _I love you…_ ”

“Paulie…!”

“ _I love you._ ”

“ _Paul!_ ”

“ _I love you!_ ”

“ _I love you, too!_ ”

God, one last pound into the lead singer was all he could take before he found himself spent. All he wanted was to hear those words… Of course they were enough to send him flying over the edge… Send his spirit flying up into the heavens, the stars and circle the moon in joy.

A low exhale from Gene interrupted his afterglow before it had even begun. Ace didn’t dignify him with a glance yet, burying his face again in Paul’s damp curls, inhaling the mingled scents of sweat and cologne and sex. Oh. Oh. He could just lay here forever, buried inside him. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else at all. The words kept reverberating in an infinite loop in his mind, a record on endless repeat, _I love you, I love you, I love you._ He could live the whole rest of his life on that single sentence.

From beneath him, Paul shifted, hand reaching out blindly, searching. Ace clasped it, squeezing it hard. God, he couldn’t let him go. He thought he could. He really thought he could. He’d stuck through so much for Paul’s sake. Kept on through all his threats to quit KISS just to keep seeing him, no matter how badly it hurt, because the alternative was so much worse. He took another ragged inhale, grip tightening on Paul’s hand as he pulled out, still unable or unwilling to leave his side.

Paul, though, was looking at Gene, flushed face marred with worry and want. Gene had sanctioned this, said it was okay, but he’d had no idea what was going to happen. Paul hadn’t, either. He knew he couldn’t communicate that with just a look-- but he didn’t want to apologize. He couldn’t. It’d be like lying to Ace. It’d be like lying to himself. He’d done enough of that. Enough of that to ruin dozens of relationships, not just the two right here. He pursed his lips.

“I…”

“ _Paulie, Paulie!_ ” Ace cut in before he could say a thing. He turned Paul around in his arms until they were chest to chest, and he nuzzled into him. “I heard you~” he smiled.

Paul couldn’t help but return the smile. “I know, I know,” he murmured, squeezing Ace’s hand in reassurance. “ _I meant it…_ ”

“Say it again~ _Please,_ say it again~” Ace pleaded with him.

“Ace…” Paul’s eyes darted over to Gene, who had surprised them both by remaining on the edge of the bed, waiting for them to finish up so that he could have his turn. Paul was honestly shocked he hadn’t said a word about this. Maybe he just let it happen, knowing that this would be the last time Ace would have him like this….

“Paulie~ C’mon! I’m waiting,”

“I love you, Ace~” Paul leaned up and pecked him right on the lips. It made Ace melt against him, made his head spin and drag against Paul’s chest, cutely.

“I knew it, _I knew it,_ ” He spoke softly. “Love you, Paulie~!”

“ _Paul…_ ” Gene’s voice cut back into their moment, instantly catching Ace’s attention. “I think we should be sharing here--”

“Oh fuck you! _You_ stole him from me!” Ace snapped, eyes growing dark at the bassist.

“ _Ace, Ace~_ ” Paul crooned out sweetly, perfectly capturing back Ace’s gaze. He slipped his hands out from his and cupped his cheeks. “You’re tired, aren’t you, baby?”

“No, no. ‘M not tired, Paulie- I can go all night for you!” Ace shook his head in his grasp. “Will go all night for you!”

“Sshhh, Ace, c’mon… For _me,_ please. Please, Space Ace… Let this Starchild have his Demon quench his thirst.” Paul muttered, leaning in and kissing him again. He pulled back slowly and said, “I want him, too, Ace. C’mon, it’s only fair--”

“Fuck fair! You need me! Paulie, you need _me!_ Not him!”

“Ace, please. I’ll be over there in a minute… _Jendell promise._ ” Paul rubbed his cheek against his, slowly.

“...Jendell promise?” Ace echoed, faintly. His eyes searched the dark chocolate space of his Paulie’s eyes for any bit of doubt in them, but he sighed in relief when he found none. He leaned forward to kiss him one more time, keeping his lips pressed against his for as long as he could until he needed oxygen again. “Jendell promise…” Ace nodded, then finally slipped back from him, taking off the condom and leaning over the side of the bed to toss it in the wastebasket.

Gene was rapidly losing patience, the random alien talk just about making him hit the limit. From where he’d been sitting, he felt like he could see all the issues with their relationship-- their former relationship, he reminded himself-- laid completely bare. Even discounting the drugs, they were way too dependent on each other, Ace so hellbent on proving himself he’d marked Paul up all over, and Paul… God, Paul had gotten tugged into Ace’s space fantasies enough to play along with his made-up language. Embarrassing. Just… just really juvenile. Easier to focus on that than the way Paul’s confession yanked at something in his heart.

But Paul was focusing on him now. More than that, he was insisting, against Ace’s annoying pleas, on being with Gene right now. Still, that didn’t keep Gene from being huffy as Paul scooted over, almost apologetically, grasping his arm and kissing his neck.

“Are you really sure you’ve got the stamina?”

From the other side of the bed, Ace cackled, rolling over onto his back and starting to hum off-key to the ceiling. Paul made a face.

“Gene, come on, don’t be like that.”

“Paul…” _You should know how I feel after all of that,_ he wanted to say but didn’t. “Paul, I just don’t want to push you if you’re done…”

“ _Gene,_ ” Paul kissed at his neck again, his lips hovering just above his skin as he pulled back. “I’m not done, I’m just running real hot… Really, really hot… I think I need to see a doctor… _Dr. Love,_ perhaps?”

Goddammit. Fuck himself for always being able to easily fall back into Paul’s arms whenever he used one of his favorite monikers. It was weak… Goddamn weak of him, but he loved hearing Paul set him up for it every time.

“Well, I've got the cure you're thinkin' of,” Gene felt the corners of his lips curl back despite his sour mood. Paul was doing a hell of a job helping melt away his previous frustrations by finally giving him the attention he’d been looking forward to all night. It was more than enough to get him to reach over for the lube and another condom, slip it on, slick himself up and turn back to his partner.

Gene pinned him back down on the mattress, catching him in a smooth, claiming kiss. Instantly, Paul moaned into it and lost himself in his dark eyes. All the stability and comfort Gene had brought into his life just hitting him at once, in one kiss. It was lovely.

“Mmhm, you’re too beautiful,” Gene whispered as he leaned down and kissed Paul’s lips slowly, so slowly that Paul could only keep moaning into each little press of his mouth, his body feeling completely gone. Just like ice cream melting on a hot summer’s day, Paul was melting under him, succumbing to his need once again.

Paul couldn’t even tell how much time had passed before Gene finally pulled away, all his breath gone from his body as he gasped for air. He wasn’t given much of a notice before he felt something thick filling that empty void that Ace had left behind, pushing deep inside him. His whole body shook as he felt Gene lean down and rub his cheek against his, panting as he pressed his cock fully inside Paul. The lead singer again felt like he were on fire, felt that same burning need in his body as he felt himself being filled up, and he needed Gene to take care of it for him.

“Fuck, so fuckin’… fuck,” Paul mumbled, softly, and Gene smiled and kissed him again. His hands slid into Paul’s bushy hair, gripping tight fistfuls of curls and giving them a good, well-deserved yank. Paul’s moan was loud, but it was even louder when Gene pulled out then pushed back in, repeating the motion slowly until Paul moaned loud enough that the people on the floor above banged at their floor for them to shut the fuck up. Ace threw his head back and cackled like a madman. Paul blushed and buried his face in Gene’s neck. Gene just chuckled a little bit.

“Ahh… Que pouvez-vous faire?” Gene shrugged, letting Paul’s head fall from his grip. They couldn’t try that too much tonight. Gene didn’t want to deal with an angry hotel manager and angry guests yelling at him in French if he could help it tonight. He was sure Paul felt the same, too.

His head met the mattress, and Paul let out another groan, his cock dripping as Gene fucked into him faster, harder. His body was burning with an increasing need, his own cock throbbing, and even though he’d already come, he knew he needed more.

“Round two in five minutes! Good job, Paulie! You’re doing it!” Ace was clapping. God, Ace was actually clapping like this was a sporting event. “Hey, hey, you’re halfway to your record! Didja get him to four in a night yet, Gene? Didja? You gotta really, _really_ work at it--”

“Ace, shut up!” Gene barked. Paul didn’t even seem capable of a response, eyes dilated and hazy, breaths heavy as he managed to moan out, quieter now but no less desperate.

“Hurry up, then! Hurry up! Paul, c’mon, you said you’d be right back to me!”

“Nngh…” The words were forming slowly, dazedly, as Gene resumed thrusting into him. “I didn’t… I said I’d be over there in a minute, not…”

“You promised!”

Both just did their best to ignore the lead guitarist as he whined and moaned at them. It was rather easy, surprisingly. Perhaps they could simply thank the heat of the moment, and Gene’s eager rutting into him helped out plenty, too. Both of them were moaning together, both gasping for air in the warm atmosphere of sweat and sex.

Paul felt Gene’s hands reach down and spread his thighs more, and he glanced down just in time to confirm that Gene was watching his own dick slide in and out of his willing hole and just that sight alone was more than enough to just shove Paul over the edge. His second orgasm struck him, and he splashed white streaks all across Gene’s belly and thighs, making quite the sticky mess between the two of them. Paul fell back against the bed and moaned, feeling the same fire burn within him- the same one Gene had set so many years ago. It felt stronger than ever, and he smiled to himself as it blazed on.

Paul’s entire body was throbbing in so much pleasure that he hardly noticed Gene start to fuck into him even harder, clearly chasing his own release as he thrust into him. His movements were less practiced than before, but he did finally manage to plunge himself deep enough to achieve his own climax. It was hot, too hot, and Paul really did feel as if he melted right then and there.

“Good. You’re done…” Paul heard Ace say as Gene pulled out of him. “Now get off of him!”

Gene just growled back at him, removing his condom and tossing it over onto the floor before settling back over Paul. The bassist lowered his head and kissed his partner sweetly, murmuring soft praises to him with each kiss. It had Ace’s blood boiling in a heartbeat.

“Fuck you, Gene! _Paulie!_ ” Ace tried to call out to him. “Paulie, he’s not sharing! He’s _stealing_ you from me _again!_ ”

“Ace, Ace… Mmh _hhmm…. Gene~_ ” Paul hummed, faintly, too sleepy and far too distracted by Gene’s kisses to notice anything else happening around him anymore. “Gene, Gene~”

“I’ve got you,” Gene smiled against his lips. “I’ve got you, Paul.”

“Paulie! _NO!_ Paul, do something!” All the lead singer could do, though, was only lay there, panting and moaning softly. He couldn’t control his body anymore tonight; every last bit of energy that he had was now gone. Paul’s head felt too full and his senses felt overloaded.

“Mmhmm… Gene…” Paul managed to get out before everything suddenly was too much, and he found his head falling back onto the mattress before everything went fuzzy.

Paul had fallen fast asleep.

Gene kissed him one more time and gathered him up in his arms, gently rubbing his hands up and down his sides. It was a lovely moment, real lovely. Satisfying and warm. He hadn’t needed to mark Paul up to claim him. Hadn’t needed to put on some big show to let Ace know Paul was his. Every pant and groan and cry was plenty testament to Gene of how Paul really felt, without him having to drag it out of him, without him needing some big declaration. Who he’d keep coming back to. Gene never thought he could feel so secure.

Then Ace started screaming.

“PAUL! _PAULIE!_ NO, NO, _NO!_ YOU MADE A JENDELL PROMISE! NOOO _OOOO!!_ ”

And just like that, the comfortable, easy peace was gone again. Fuck. Ace couldn’t even shut up long enough for Gene himself to relax any. Was he that hellbent on ruining everything? God, he’d done him a favor! Let him have his last time with Paul when he should’ve just let him smash every bottle in the fridge and snort himself straight to hell.

“What the hell is wrong with you? You had your chance! Jesus, let him sleep!”

“He promised! Paul, Paul, _please!_ ” Desperately, Ace scooted in, grabbing Paul by a shoulder, starting to shake him, only to have Gene shove his arm away. “You don’t understand! _You don’t understand!_ ”

“I understand that your time is up, and that’s all I give a shit about.” Gene growled at him, lowering himself over Paul, covering him protectively.

“Y- You- You-” Ace sputtered angrily, eyes catching the light from the lamp on the nightstand and appearing to glow for a moment. “ _You stole him from me!_ ”

“ _No,_ ” Gene shot him down. “No, you lost him all on your own, Ace! … Fuck… Can’t you see? Paul’s chosen this for himself.” he sighed, a small amount of pity entering his tone. Why couldn’t Ace just see it? Sure, he was drunk now, but he had to have seen it before. It must’ve been impossible for him to miss. “You two… You’ve been done. That was it.”

That was it. _That was it!_ This time Gene didn’t have time to react as a quick punch suddenly connected with his jaw, sending his head off to the side. Ace was fuming, all of a sudden standing beside the bed and glaring down at him, the edges of his vision blurring in anger. All he could see were images in his head of Gene’s jaw broken and the bassist beaten senseless on the floor. He hated him for what he’d done, loathed him for his greediness and wished he’d never invited him in all those months ago.

Ace hardly registered the sound of his fist meeting Gene’s face again, barely heard him cuss and swear at him, didn’t even notice the blood now dripping from his nose and down onto Paul. Hell, he didn’t even recognize his own voice as he shouted at him, “This is all your fault! We’re through because of you! You’ve ruined us!”

Gene knocked back a third punch, shoving him back as he shouted, “Fuck you! I was a damn drop in the messy ocean you two called a functioning relationship!” Of course, he knew he didn’t help things… really didn’t help things… but he wasn’t the main reason for their breakup! “You were over before I even got there!”

“Liar! You goddamn liar!”

“What was keeping you two together, anyway?” Gene forced a laugh. He could feel the bile rising up to his throat with every spiteful word. “I mean, really! You’ve got nothing in common! Nothing! The whole time, all you did was trap each other in something you couldn’t get out of! You’re just pissed Paul left before you were ready to bail!”

“ _Bail?!_ Fuck you! You piece of shit!”

“Fuck, you’d already done it, you goddamn addict! You did that years ago!” Gene exhaled, eyes dark and somehow still blazing. “You’d already traded him in for your booze and your coke before I even came around!”

“ _You don’t love him!_ ”

“Fuck you, Ace! You don’t know a damn thing about my feelings! Don’t act like you know!”

“I know you can’t love him like I do!” Ace’s words were a high-pitched, painful rattle, every syllable a little faster, a little louder. “You didn’t even want him until you knew he was mine! Didn’t give a fuck! He was hurting over you and you didn’t give a fuck! You don’t want a goddamn thing unless it’s someone else’s!”

“ _I love Paul!_ More than you ever will!” Gene yelled at him. His eyes glanced down at the sleeping singer, noticing a small turn of his head at the yelling, but he didn’t stir.

Gene’s eyes softened. His hand reached up and twirled a small curl between his fingers. He didn’t care that Ace was glaring at him, could hardly care if he was reeling back to sock him again. As long as it wasn’t Paul...

“God… More than you _ever_ will, Ace.”

“Tell that to _Eric._ ”

Suddenly all of the energy and peace Gene had gathered was gone. His hand dropped from Paul’s hair as if burned by it, as if he didn’t deserve to be holding it in his grasp. He still lowered his head down against his partner’s and clenched his jaw in a slow building rage.

“C’mon, go over there and tell Eric that he’ll never mean as much to you as your _precious Paulie._ Go on- break his fuckin’ heart! Do it! …” Ace paused and waited for any sort of response. He got nothing. “Or-- or hell, why don’t you really fuck it up? Why don’t you tell Paulie he’s not enough for you? Why don’t you tell him you wanna bring Eric in on the side? Doncha worry, Gene, it won’t hurt his feelings any. Paul’s so fucking secure, you know? He can take it. Go ahead. Just rip him to fucking pieces. Why not?”

Ace was panting for breath, but he wasn’t stopping any longer than he had to, the cadence of his words like machine gunfire.

“...Can’t do it? Or fuckin’ _won’t?!_ Weak- weak piece of shit, Gene- that’s what you are! You can’t just be honest with people! Gotta sell them what you want them to see! Gotta lie behind their backs! Gotta break their hearts the hard way! Fuck you! You’ll always be that fuckin’ kid struggling to put on a mask! That loser no one from Queens!”

Gene drew in a sharp breath, then shut his eyes, summoning every bit of strength in his body to keep himself still and not jump up to punch the lead guitarist. Ace was drunk… He was upset… He was heartbroken… He wasn’t thinking clearly… And yet, it still cut deep all the same.

“But look who Paul chose.”

Ace’s body twitched at the soft spoken words for a split second, as if they’d electrocuted him. Then, just like that- all emotion left him- until all that was left was the pain and sadness that filled his heart at the thought of this really being the last time he’d ever spend loving Paul. 

Now… 

Now it was hitting him… 

Paul wasn’t coming back. He was cuddling with Gene right there on the bed. His Paulie wasn’t coming back to him. Not now. Not… not ever. After all those years, it was over. Really over. The very idea was starting to make him shake, make him tremble where he stood. It finally caught up with him and broke him. Tears filled his brown eyes and fell down the sides of his face as he let his head fall back.

“Gene… I- I hope you’re happy… Fuck, Gene… You’ve won… You got him… Hope you’re fuckin’ happy with yourself.”

“Wh- What…?” Gene asked in disbelief, and his grip on Paul loosened ever so slightly. “Ace…”

“Love him… Goddammit, don’t mess this up… He doesn’t deserve that.” Ace sniffed. The next moment he covered his face with his hands and started to sob. Quiet, choked sounds, so small, so defeated. So unlike the sharpness of his screams and the eerie offbeatness of his laughter. The little sobs were all wrong. Just all wrong. He sank to his knees only for a moment to grab his pants and yank them back on along with his shoes, then started running for the door.

When the door slammed, Paul stirred just a little, then nuzzled back into Gene’s chest. “ _Gene…_ Mmhmm~” he sighed, feeling content with the world in his dreamy state.

Gene felt his heart break. Hell, he didn’t even notice that was he was crying until he felt a wetness roll down his cheeks. Crying because it hurt. Crying because he’d fucked over two people he considered best friends of his. Crying because it felt like every word Ace had said about him was true. How fucking weak… How pathetic…

All he could do was wipe them away on his own and stuff that guilt back deep inside. Couldn’t do anything else with it. Wouldn’t dare shove it off onto Paul. He’d never try to burden him with that… But damn. It was getting harder to resist day by day.

Gene leaned down and kissed Paul’s forehead. His voice cracked as he spoke, “I’m so sorry, Paul… I’m so sorry… so, so sorry.” he cuddled up close to him, feeling more undeserving than ever, and pressed his forehead to his as he cried silently.


End file.
